Johnny
by Amaterasu Rising
Summary: Johnny Ketcham has his eye on a legendary Pokémon. But will his quest end in tragedy? [New format! 8 chapters! WA!]
1. Joy

"Tentacruel, go!"  
  
"In that case, I'll choose Bellossom!"  
  
Johnny Ketcham was playing by himself in his room. He had a doll that resembled each of the two hundred and fifty-one known Pokémon, and mock-battled with them. Because he was only nine years old, he was still a year away from gaining his Pokémon license, the key to become a Pokémon trainer. Without that license, he could not obtain the tools necessary to become a good trainer. He did have outlets for his interest in Pokémon. His father, Ash, was a professor at Indigo University, where he taught battle technique and strategy, and his mother, Misty, was the gym leader of the Cerulean Gym, in the city of Cerulean, where they lived. He often visited his older sister Rosy at Pokémon Technical Institute, an elite prep school for Pokémon trainers. He had endless questions about Pokémon, and couldn't get enough of them. He held the Tentacruel doll high. "Sludge bomb, Tentacruel," he shouted, tossing the doll in the air.  
  
"Bellossom, counter it with sleep powder," he cried. He hurled the Bellossom doll at the still airborne Tentacruel doll. They collided in mid-air and flopped to the floor. "Unbelievable," he screamed, holding a pencil like a microphone, imitating an announcer. "They both go down. Have you seen anything like it?"  
  
"Hey," Rosy Ketcham yelled from the other side of his locked door. "Mom says get to the table."  
  
Johnny scooped the dolls off the floor and pitched them into his overflowing toy box. "Coming!" He joined his sister and descended the stairs. Already seated were Misty, Ash and their middle child, Derek. He was thirteen, as Rosy was seventeen. Derek was much quieter and reserved than his siblings. He chose music instead of Pokémon, and attended a different boarding school, the Indigo School of Arts and Music. They were gathered for a rare dinner together. When school was in session, both Rosy and Derek were away, plus Ash was often away tending to teaching business, sometimes battling. He didn't battle as often now that he was pushing forty. He'd already proven to the world he was a Pokémon master, by winning the Pokémon League tournament five years in a row. Now, he used his expertise to coach the champions of the future.   
  
"You're all going to have to stick around tomorrow," Ash said to his children. "It's Mommy's birthday, and we're going on a picnic on the beach."  
  
Rosy sighed. "We know, Daddy," she said. "You only told us a zillion times."  
  
"Just checking."  
  
Misty enjoyed the simple dinner of chicken and rice, not for culinary reasons, but to see her whole family for a change. She didn't have much of a family growing up, just her and her sisters, and she was often lonely. They were so much older than she was, and that made it hard for them to get along. Misty shared a particularly close relationship with her youngest, Johnny. With Ash and Derek and Rosy leading busy lives, it left much time for Misty and Johnny. Rosy often teased him, calling him a mama's boy, but in truth he was. He loved his mother dearly, and she returned that great love. He even looked like her, sharing her red hair and sea-green eyes, rather than inheriting Ash's dark features as Rosy and Derek had. She was looking forward to the next day's picnic. She'd always viewed her fortieth birthday with dread, but now that it was just a day away, she found herself embracing her age. She was still madly in love with her husband, as he was completely smitten with her as well. They'd shared that strong love since their teens. She had kept the weight that inevitably comes with age at bay, only gaining a few pounds from childbirth, but she was also an avid swimmer, and a talented synchronized swimmer. That, coupled with her deft Pokémon training and Ash's mastery of Pokémon, had brought much attention and acclaim their way. She sat back in her chair, watching her family eat dinner. Her heart swelled with love and pride, and when she went to sleep that night, her dreams were filled with visions of her happiness. 


	2. The Seed is Planted

The next day, the family set off for Cianwood Island, which could only be reached via ferry. They stood on the crowded dock in Olivine City, waiting for the next ferry. Johnny chattered about Pokémon endlessly, as usual. Rosy and Ash joined him. Derek kept still, gazing out at the sea. Soon, the ferry pulled up, and they boarded. The boat sliced through the water as they passed the Whirl Islands. "You know, kids," Ash said eerily. "It's said there's a legendary Pokémon that lives in a cave in those islands."  
  
Johnny's ears perked up. "Really, Dad?"  
  
"Yes." He smiled, enjoying his children hanging on his every word. Even Derek was more animated. "It's a huge flying Pokémon, with the power to quell even the strongest of rages, and tame the wildest of seas. It's over seventeen feet tall! The sound it makes, it sounds like a song in the distant breeze, from an ocean away. The best Pokémon trainers around have tried to capture it, but it's useless. Any man that goes into the dungeons of the Whirl Islands doesn't come out-- at all."  
  
Johnny's eyes were as wide as saucers. Rosy seemed intimidated, but tried to play it off by asking skeptically, "How do you know all this stuff, Daddy?"  
  
"I know," he replied. "Oh, you'd better believe I know. I met it once."  
  
They stopped breathing. "No," Johnny whispered.  
  
"YES! I met it, I knew it, I saw it." Now he was really hamming it up. "I even rode on its back. And, it gave me something so I would remember it forever. A beautiful, priceless, silver--"  
  
"Stop it, Ash," Misty interrupted. "You're just filling their heads with stories."   
  
"You doubt me," he said, clinging to his ham. "You were there. You saw it too. In fact, you got jealous when that girl who helped us kissed me." His eyes twinkled. He relished teasing her.  
  
"Yes, well, that's neither here nor there," she said quickly, blushing. "Oh, look, there's the beach. Everybody off! Time to party!" She bustled them off the boat. During Misty's birthday celebration, all Johnny could think of is that incredible Pokémon Ash had described. Someday, I'll find you, he promised himself. I will do what no one else could, not even my dad. I'll catch you.  
*  
The days that followed were filled with Pokémon research for Johnny. He neglected everything, from his chores to his homework to figure out what Pokémon Ash had been talking about. He even sneaked on campus at the university to use the library. He found an impossibly old book in the back of the library that was so thick he had to use both hands to hold it. He sat at a table and opened it. He had opened to the very section he was looking for: "Pokémon Legends and Myths." He saw many drawings of known Legendary Pokémon, from Articuno to Zapdos and every one in between. A small drawing accompanied by a paragraph in the corner of a page intrigued him. The Pokémon depicted looked like a streamlined bird with animal-like feet, spines on its back, and teeth. It was huge, white, and surrounded by a large water cyclone. The feathers of its wings were a beautiful iridescent silver. The paragraph read: "Although its existence still has yet to be proven, Lugia is fuel for many legends and myths. It is said to appear from the depths of the sea only when the balance of harmony and peace in the world is threatened. Then, with the power of the Chosen One, Lugia can calm the destructive forces. Alone, Lugia's song will fail, and the earth shall turn to ash." Johnny read the paragraph repeatedly, but never got the full meaning of it. He headed home, and saw that Ash hadn't arrived home yet, and Misty was out in the backyard. He crept up the stairs to his father's trophy room, where Ash housed all his awards and trophies for everyone to see. He gazed at the plaques and certificates that adorned the walls. His eyes scanned past them; he'd seen them a hundred times. This time, he knew what he was looking for. His stare came to rest at a large glass case that held a long, silvery feather that shone in a spectrum of bright hues. "I knew it," he whispered. "Dad met Lugia. This is unbelievable!"  
  
"Johnny," Misty called from downstairs. "Johnny? Are you home? Where are you, sweetheart?" Johnny scooted out of the room and fled to his own room, afraid to face his mother's questions. He wasn't sure how to tell them he knew his father's tales were true, or if he should in the first place. Day after day went on, and he read more about Lugia, trying to cram his brain with as many facts about the grand beast as possible. It followed him everywhere he went, until he turned ten and was granted permission to take the Pokémon License Test. He studied fervently, and went in extremely confident. When the results came back, the professor who gave the test looked at Johnny with a sullen face. "Sorry, John," he said. John looked at the scorecard.  
  
"Thirty-seven! Out of what," he asked, near tears.  
  
"Three hundred sixty one."  
  
Johnny looked at the card. The words and numbers blurred together. "But, there's always next year." The professor smiled at him.  
  
"No!" Johnny felt his chest unraveling. "I have to become a trainer now! Don't you see?"  
  
"I'm sorry." 


	3. Going For It

He threw the card on the floor and flew back to his house. He hid in his room, and wouldn't come out. He heard his family discussing his failure in hushed tones outside his door. "Poor thing, he tried so hard.... It must be tearing him apart.... I wish he'd come out. I mean, it's just a test, you know?... He's having a tough time right now. Best to leave him be. He'll come out when he's ready." His failure echoed in his head daily. His life was hampered by his shortcoming. His grades slipped and he became withdrawn. He suffered from insomnia many nights. That summer, Derek and Rosy came home to stay until the start of the next session. Derek was often found at the grand piano in the sitting room on the first floor, playing a beautifully haunting tune. That tune, accompanied by visions of Lugia, filled Johnny's dreams, and most nights woke him up. One night he woke up after dreaming of Lugia yet again. He got out of bed and looked out the window. The sky was dark. The streetlights illuminated the empty streets of Cerulean City. He cupped his chin in his hand and rested his elbow on the windowsill. The silver feather down the hall crept into his mind, and took hold. If he couldn't prove himself with that stupid test, he'd catch Lugia to show them all what he could do. He quickly dressed, and instead of breaking the glass case that held the shiny wing, he took it, case and all, from its spot on the wall. Grabbing his piggy bank, he sneaked out of the house and set a course for Olivine City.   
  
The sky became lighter which each hour that passed, and that made it easier for Johnny to find his way. He reached the port at Olivine by midday. He pushed the door to the station open and set the bank on the counter. "I'd like to rent a rowboat, please, sir," he said.  
An old man with white hair and a white beard sat behind the counter, gutting a large Magikarp. He looked at Johnny's piggy bank. "Son, what do you want to rent a boat fer," he asked.   
  
"I want to-" He started to tell the man his plan, but if anyone knew, they might try to stop him. He didn't want that. "I'm going to just paddle around in the ocean a bit."  
  
"Heh," the old man laughed. He emptied the piggy bank. A mess of pennies covered the counter. "This ain't enough fer a boat."  
  
"Please, can't I take one for just an hour or so," Johnny begged. He had no idea how long it would take to find Lugia, much less capture it, but once he had it, everyone would revere him as a hero, and he could have anything and everything he wanted.   
  
The old man evaluated the small boy before him. He could tell there was more on Johnny's mind than just a short cruise in the sea. "Fine," he said sighing. "But if yer not back in an hour, I'll find your pappy, and I'll make him pay fer my boat!" He showed John to the dock, and set him up with a small rowboat. "Thanks, mister," Johnny cried, waving. He struggled to get the boat out of the harbor. It was hard for him to figure out how to row it without going in circles. Eventually, he got it. He peeked at his watch. He had only forty minutes left. He rowed furiously out to sea, and stopped when he reached the nearest of the four atolls in the Whirl Islands. As he tried to get closer, walls of sea vegetation blocked his way. It seemed the only way to get in was to fight past the whirlpools between the forests of seaweed. He fearlessly paddled into the whirlpool. It spun his tiny vessel around, and water quickly filled the boat. He yelled and jumped out of the boat. Fortunately, he'd jumped far enough to be clear of the whirlpool. He swam to shore and gazed at the pool. It had swallowed the boat completely. He set his backpack on the sand and checked its contents again. Flashlight, silver wing, maps of the dungeons of the islands he'd copied from the ancient textbooks he'd found, bottled water and jerky, and the Master ball. He'd taken that from his father as well, so he could catch Lugia. He had the presence of mind to put the maps in plastic sleeves to protect them from such things as he just experienced. He pulled out the flashlight, the map and the ball. He clipped the ball to his belt loop for easy access. He switched the flashlight on and stepped into the cave. 


	4. Missing You

Rosy returned from the university with her father that day. He'd set up a tour of the campus for her, to help her decide where she wanted to attend college. She, and her parents knew that if she were to enter the Pokémon League after graduation, she'd be a serious contender, but Misty insisted that she get an education first. She headed upstairs to tell Johnny about it. "Johnny," she called. His door was closed. "Hey, booger brain, I've got something cool for you." She held a Pokémon Stadium poster behind her back. She'd picked it up at the student store on campus. "Johnny?" She knocked on the door. "Hey, what's up?" She turned the handle and pushed the door open. The room was empty. Clothes and toys were strewn about. The bed was unmade. It looked like it did every day. "Mom," Rosy shouted from upstairs. "Where's Johnny?"  
  
Misty went upstairs and peered in Johnny's room. "I don't know, sweetie," she said. "Come to think of it, I haven't heard from him all day. I wonder what he's gotten into. He's so much like Ash was at this age." She sighed, remembering her husband when he was just a boy. A great friend, but constantly drove her up the wall. "Let's go ask Daddy." Ash shrugged at their inquiry, as did Derek when he was asked. They all figured he was out playing somewhere, and would be back in time for dinner. Like Ash, he was never late for a meal. Dinner time came, and he was nowhere to be found. "I'm getting worried," Misty said, parting the curtains in the front room, looking for any sign of Johnny.   
  
"I'm sure he's fine," Ash soothed her. He put his hand on her shoulder.   
  
*  
  
Nightfall made turning back impossible for Johnny. He'd made it into the mouth of the cave in the Whirl Islands, and his flashlight shone on the rough terrain ahead. All around were unforgiving ledges, intimidating rock formations, and vicious waterfalls that pooled into dark, murky water that looked very deep. The roar of the waterfalls was deafening. Undaunted, he scaled the nearest rock to get a bird's eye view of the cave. Across a lake of dark water was a tunnel. Johnny was sure that tunnel led to his prize, Lugia. He walked along the edge of the crag, looking for a safe route to the tunnel. He spied a series of stones in the water. He tested his weight on one of them. It held, so he chanced the stepping stones to get across. He reached the mass of land that held the tunnel. He pulled a map out of his pack, and studied it. He hadn't bothered copying the words that accompanied the pictures; they were in some strange language he'd never seen before. He turned the map in every direction, trying to figure it out. He went into the tunnel, and was faced with a voluminous waterfall, bigger and taller and louder than all the others in the previous room. The mist that sprayed from its meeting with the water made it difficult to see. It seemed that this was the only thing on that side of the tunnel. He shined his flashlight around the waterfall, and could barely make out four men in dark jumpsuits and hard-hats with lights on them walking on the ledge above the massive falls. Quietly, he followed them on the ground level, until he found he could no longer. The only way he could go was up. But how? The waterfall stretched as far as the eye could see on one wall, and the other walls were at a ninety degree angle with the floor. He caught sight of a rope that had been left dangling on the edge of the cliff above. Apparently, the men had left it there. Johnny scaled the rope and set off after the men.  
  
*  
  
Midnight had passed, and Misty and Ash were beside themselves with worry. Rosy and Derek were up as well. Derek was as solemn as ever. Even Rosy was subdued. Misty was on the phone with the Cerulean Police Department, giving a description of John. Ash was pacing the front room floor, unsure of what to do. "I just spoke to Officer Jenny," Misty said, hanging up the phone. "She said she was going to look for Johnny as soon as we hung up. She said the best thing to do is get some sleep, not worry, and look for him in the morning. She said she'd be by tomorrow to help us out, if we need it."  
  
"Help us out with what," Ash asked.  
  
"Think, Ash," Misty said. "She's a police officer, which means she deals with missing people all the time. If she comes here tomorrow, she can find clues that can tell us what happened to him, if anything happened at all."  
  
"I guess that makes sense," he agreed.  
  
"Come on now. Everyone to bed." 


	5. The Depths

Johnny caught up with the men, but kept at a discreet distance. He clung to the many shadows in the cave. Their voices drifted over the roar of the falls. "Once we get this one, we'll be millionaires, right, guys?" Johnny didn't have time to mull that over, because one of the men pulled a strange shell-like instrument out of his pocket and brought it to his lips. A sweet, airy tune came out of it. Johnny gasped. "That's it! That's the song that Derek was playing," he whispered. He hid from view, but kept an eye on the men. The tune stopped, and the only sounds that could be heard were the roaring of the tumbling water and the drip-drops from water dripping from the stalactites into the pools beneath. Then, something answered the tune. Out of the pool of water below rose Lugia, the magnificent Pokémon Johnny had been searching for. It sang the tune along with the odd instrument. Johnny's mouth fell open. Forgetting where he was, he rushed forward. "Unbelievable! It's really you! Lugia!" The men stopped and looked at him.   
  
"Hey, kid, get outta here," an old man cautioned. He looked oddly familiar to Johnny, but he shook it off. He figured the mist was getting in his eyes and playing tricks on him.  
  
"Yea, if you know what's good for ya," a younger, red-haired man said. They spoke in hushed voices.  
  
"What? What are you doing here," Johnny asked. "Do you want Lugia?"  
  
The men laughed quietly. "Do we want Lugia," the oldest one said. "Yea, we do. Now, scram."  
  
"No." Johnny stepped ahead. "I came here to catch it." He held up the silver wing.  
  
"Sorry, tyke," one of the other men said. "You're not catchin' it, because we're huntin' it." He cocked a large harpoon and aimed it at the still airborne Lugia.  
  
"What? No!" Johnny threw the Master ball at Lugia to save it from the poachers. His throw fell short, and the ball splashed into the pool below. He looked down at it. He heard the harpoon fire, and saw the sharp end slice into Lugia's neck. The great bird screamed a terrible noise and thrashed its wings wildly. The whole cave shook from the force. One of the men fell into the pool miles below. "Get out! We're all gonna die!" They scrambled for safety. Lugia was losing strength fast. It summoned the last of it to execute its greatest attack, Aeroblast. Johnny was just out of Lugia's lair when the blast hit. The attack blew off the top of the cave, creating a huge crater. The blast threw Johnny into the air. He came down into the cave again, tumbling against the sharp rocks. He finally splashed into a murky lake. He was broken, battered, and bloody. On the way down, a shower of heavy stones from Lugia's rage fell from the sky, one of them striking Johnny squarely in the back of the head. He lost conscientiousness completely and sank below the water's surface.  
  
*  
  
Officer Jenny reached the Ketchum house by midmorning the next day. She looked at photos of Johnny, asked each member of the family questions about him, looked in his room, but came up with no answers. As she and Ash left Johnny's room, she asked him, "What's this room here," indicating the trophy room.  
  
"It's my trophy room," he said, ushering her in. She took in the large number of awards and accolades. "Hey, what's missing from the wall?" She pointed to the empty space.  
  
"What?" Ash drew closer. "Hey, the silver wing is gone. Where did it--noooooooooo," he whispered.  
  
"What? Is everything okay, sir," she asked.  
  
"Misty, come see this," Ash shouted. Misty was in the room in no time. "Look." She saw the feather was missing.   
  
"Oh, no, Ash," she said tearfully. "You don't think he... No, no, he didn't. He couldn't have." She pressed her stomach with her hands.   
  
"We have to get to Olivine and look for him," Ash said.   
"Come on. We'll make a search party. Let's go." He pulled his wife downstairs. He assembled a team of his good friends to help. Brock Slate, of course, was the first to arrive. He'd known Ash and Misty since they were kids, and had been with them almost since the beginning of Ash's Pokémon journey. His time was limited now that he had a very successful Pokémon breeding center, and was a renowned breeder. His family also took up the bulk of his time. He had ten younger siblings, most of whom had moved on, but the three youngest were still around, and Brock was all they had left. Their mother was long dead, and their father had just passed away that year. Brock was also training his little sister to take over his position as the Pewter City Gym Leader, and entangled in a messy divorce from his wife, Susie, a fellow breeder. Not far behind were Ritchie, Tracey and Snap. Ritchie was an old friend of Ash's from his first Pokémon League competition, and now, a fellow Pokémon Master. Tracey traveled with Ash and Misty in the Orange Islands while Brock was away, studying to be a breeder. He had achieved his goal of being a famous artist. Snap was a friend of theirs who pursued a career in photography. They all put their lives aside to help their friends. They gathered in the Ketcham's living room to receive instruction from Ash and Misty. "We've got to get to Olivine City and look for Johnny," Misty said. "We think he may have gone after Lugia. The silver wing is gone. He could be anywhere in the ocean, or in the Whirl Islands. The police are going to help with the search by providing boats and officers to aid our search. It looks like rain on the ocean, so dress accordingly. All right," she said, pulling on her poncho. "Let's get going."  
  
A massive search party turned out to search for the boy. Boats of all sizes circled the shores of Olivine and Cianwood, while smaller, more agile boats patrolled the open sea. They were all avoiding the Whirl Islands. They knew the dangers that lurked inside. They also knew that if Johnny was in there, it was likely he wouldn't get out alive. They combed the water until night fell, and the darkness and rain made it nearly impossible to see. Misty and Ash were on one of the small boats probing the waters near the Whirl Islands.   
"We'd better head back, men," the pilot of the boat said to his crew.   
  
"No! We have to find him," Misty pressed. "He could be-- he's in there--we have to do something." Tears poured down her face.  
  
"Ma'am, we can't go any further tonight," he explained gently. "It's too dark, and in this rain, we'd likely get very sick. It won't do any good to be out anymore tonight. We should go back." Before she could protest any more, Ash embraced her and tried to soothe her, although he was as distraught as she was. 


	6. The Worst is Yet to Come

The search for Johnny went on the next day, and the day after, and the day after that, until the days bled together and it seemed all they were doing was drifting along the currents in the ocean. When he closed his eyes, Ash could feel the soft, smooth rhythm of the sea rocking beneath his feet, even when he was on land. He could also hear his son's voice, scared, alone, echoing, "Help me, Daddy... I need you... I'm scared...." The thought of Johnny stung his eyes and made his stomach twist over itself. Misty wasn't any better. There wasn't a moment in the day she wasn't crying. Even when she was aiding the search, which was every second she was awake, her cheeks remained wet. Derek was quieter than ever. He barely spoke at all anymore. Rosy seemed peeved at her brother's misfortune. She wasn't sure how to behave in these situations. She was used to sunny skies with happy moments and bright days ahead. A gray cloud formed over their heads.   
Eventually, the search party turned to the dungeons of the Whirl Islands. It was a last-ditch effort to find the boy, a step they didn't want to take, but had to. They'd searched everywhere else possible. They knew what they may face in the caves, and they didn't want to believe that the vicious terrain had gotten the better of Johnny. Brock, Tracey and Snap each led a crew into three of the four islands. Misty and Ash chose to lead the effort in the north-eastern island, the closest to the mainland. Ash and company followed the same path of stepping stones Johnny had into the heart of the cave, which was now open to the sky due to Lugia's explosive death. The waterfalls and pools remained the same, only with chunks of sharp rocks in them. Some of the rocks made a small hill next to the wall of the giant waterfall, and Ash and the other men scaled it. Misty stayed behind, for she'd spied something in the water, she thought.  
  
Ash saw the destruction Lugia had caused, and saw the body of the magnificent bird floating in a cloudy pool on the other side of the falls. He saw the bodies of the poachers lying about as well. Some of them were missing limbs; one man's head was gone completely. The moisture of the falls and water kept the splatters of blood wet and fresh. The now plateau smelled of the moldy waters and flesh. The soles of Ash's boots were covered with thick, gummy blood. "This is disgusting," he said, covering his mouth. "I have to get out of here." He carefully went back the way they came.  
  
Meanwhile, Misty had gravitated towards a pool she'd spied. It looked deep. Rocks filled it, and also, "Something else," she wondered aloud. She knelt beside the pool and pointed her flashlight closer to the surface. She saw a body in the rocks. She reached into the water to turn the body over. She nearly dropped the flashlight into the water. "Johnny," she screamed. "Johnny! My Johnny! What--how--" Not thinking, she stepped into the pool, gently lifting his head above the surface. His face, like the rest of his body, was cold and wrinkled from the water. His skin was pale, his lips were thick and blue. A large gash on the back of his head still oozed blood. It matted his red hair. This was her Johnny, her beloved son, her baby. "Oh, Johnny," she cried. She pulled the body into her lap, sitting in the surprisingly shallow pool of stagnant water and blood. She sobbed and rocked her son's pallid form.   
Ash descended the hill of rocks and heard Misty sobbing over the roar of the falls. He saw her in the water. Her back was to him. "Misty," he called. "Hey, what are you doing in the water like that?" He reached her, offering his hand to help her up. She turned abruptly. Johnny's head jerked and slumped onto his mother's shoulder. Ash gasped and backed up. "My God, what happened?"  
  
"I found him here," Misty wailed. "How long has he been here, Ash? Oh, my baby, my boy."  
  
Ash's stomach turned. "Look, we've got to get him out," he said, taking the boy's inert body from her. "Come on. Hey, guys," he shouted to the remainder of the crew. Without waiting for them, he cradled his son, held his wife's hand, and emerged into the light.  
  
*  
  
A doctor was waiting on the mainland. He examined the boy, but knew the worst had happened before he'd even taken a temperature. He turned to Ash and Misty and said, "I'm sorry. I'll give you some time." Only Misty, Ash, Derek and Rosy remained. Johnny's corpse had been wrapped in a blanket. They looked at it sadly. No one spoke. The search party slowly disbanded, and everyone headed home. Brock followed the Ketchams' back to Cerulean, offering his help in any way, which they utilized well. They met up with Delia Ketcham, Ash's mother, who had been helping on the home front with Rosy and Derek. They sat in the living room one evening, days after Johnny's death, unable to sleep. Misty had turned on the TV in an effort to think of anything but Johnny being dead. The nightly news was on. "The rest of the victims in the mysterious Whirl Islands phenomenon were identified today," the anchor said. "Other than John Ketcham, ten years old, of Cerulean City, four others perished when the cave blew. Patrick Scott, forty, of New Bark Town, Kirk Halett, thirty-three, of Saffron City, James Fauntleroy II, eighteen, of Azalea Town, and Alan "Ace" Ketcham, sixty-seven, of Pallet Town also were killed. The elder Ketcham had been serving a prison sentence for Pokémon poaching earlier this year, but was released due to good behavior. The men were also believed to...."  
  
Misty turned away from the screen to see Rosy and Ash wearing twin expressions of shock. "My father," Ash whispered. "He was still alive? A poacher? Mom," he said shakily.  
  
Delia shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it," she said. "I thought he was dead.... Ash, I'm so sorry."   
  
Rosy's eyes filled with tears. "Jamie," she said. "You, and Johnny, you're both gone. Mom," she wailed. Misty hugged her close. "Why? Why did they both have to go? Why couldn't we all live here, happy, Jamie and Johnny too? What's next? Am I going to lose you and Daddy and Derek and Grammy and Uncle Brock too? What the fuck? It isn't fucking fair, Mom!"  
  
"Honey, Rosy, I know," Misty said. "It's been a long few days. Come on, let's get you to bed. I'll make you some tea."  
  
"No! I don't want any damned tea," she shouted. "I don't want to go to bed, I don't want to forget about Johnny!"  
  
"Babe, no one said anything about forgetting Johnny," Ash said, rising. He looked older. "I know you're hurting. I'm sorry that Jamie is gone. It's going to be even harder for you. You lost a brother, and a dear friend all at once. I lost a son, and my father, whom I thought was dead long ago. Grammy lost a grandson and a husband she thought was dead long ago. Mom lost a son. Derek lost a brother. We all lost someone we loved. Instead of pushing us away, Rosy, please, embrace the love we have now. We need to be strong now. Johnny will not be forgotten, ever. Let's all get some sleep now. We've got more pain ahead now." 


	7. Futility

Johnny's funeral had been planned quickly, and on the morning of his memorial, the funeral home was filled to the brim with friends and family. Misty's sisters came to support them. A tight circle had formed around them. The service itself was brief, but the words were well put and all those who had known and loved Johnny felt it was done to the best of him. After the service, Ash and Misty dared to take one last look at Johnny before the burial at the Viridian Cemetery. The Ketchams had a family plot there, and four generations before Ash were buried there. This day, both Johnny and Alan were to be laid to rest. Ash's chest was filled with sorrow looking at his deceased son, and hate for his dead father. Misty touched Johnny's face, and leaned in to whisper something to him. Ash's eyes misted over. He saw Gary Oak, his longtime rival, and unfortunate half-brother, standing near the coffin. He held a small envelope and a single white rose. Gary looked at him, offering the envelope and his hand. Ash shook it. "I'm sorry, Ash," Gary said, sounding as sincere as Ash had ever heard him speak. Gary tended to speak mostly tongue-in-cheek. "It's awful, tragic," he continued. "My nephew." He sighed, placing the rose in an arrangement near the casket. He offered some words to Misty, and kissed her on the cheek. Misty looked shocked from underneath her black veil. As he passed Ash, he whispered, "If Misty had married me, this wouldn't have happened." He smiled at his own amusement.   
  
Ash grabbed him roughly by the back of the neck. "What did you say," he growled.  
  
"Nothing you already didn't know," Gary shot back, unfazed by Ash's assault. Ash squeezed Gary's throat tightly, screaming incoherently. Misty rushed to him, trying to pull his hands away from Gary.   
  
"Ash, stop," she cried. "What did he say?" Ash suddenly released Gary, who stumbled out of the funeral home. Ash collapsed into Misty's arms, crying hysterically. She tried to soothe him. The crowd that formed dispersed, and Ash calmed down slightly. All his anger about Johnny's death, his good-for-nothing father, Gary's existence, his own goddamned futility boiled over and created the ugly beast he'd just displayed. He felt eighty years old and two years old all at once. Everything was beyond his control now, but he wasn't naive enough to ignore it, or not know any better. He knew he was useless.  
  
At the cemetery, only the family and Brock, joined by a priest, laid Johnny and Ace to rest forever. The priest gave a few words, but otherwise, they were silent. Ash leaned against Misty, who was holding Rosy's hand tightly. Derek's hand was resting on his sister's shoulder. Brock stood with his hands folded. Delia's head was bowed with her hands under her chin. They watched the coffins go into the earth, and turned to leave. 


	8. Brand New Day

The weeks that followed took a lot of getting used to for the Ketchams. Brock became a frequent visitor. Delia tried to visit more often as well, but found it difficult to travel between Pallet and Cerulean. Derek and Rosy went back to school. Ash returned to the university. Misty remained at the gym, but without Johnny around, it seemed very empty. The days passed, seasons changed, and summer came. Derek, Rosy and Ash came home for the summer. Rosy was soon to enter college, but had yet to announce where she was attending college. Indigo University still looked to be the front runner in the chase. She remained tight-lipped about her intentions. Since Johnny died, she'd aged in other ways than most girls her age did. She saw there was more to life than dominating an opponent, as she did in her Pokémon Tech class battles. She knew that life was about people, not things. She realized that not she nor her parents, or Derek would be around forever. She hedged about her plans for higher education because success meant nothing to her. Without those she loved, all the laud in the world would be useless. Every day the remaining members of her family awaited her announcement, trying not to pressure her or be overbearing. One warm summer evening, she joined her mother and father on the back patio, where they were sipping Long Island iced teas watching Derek prune the roses in the garden. He enjoyed plants almost as much as he did music and the arts. He had inherited Delia's green thumb. "Mom, Dad, Derek, I know what I'm going to do next year."  
  
Misty and Ash set down their glasses. Derek came in from the garden. "Well, pumpkin, what is it," Ash asked. Rosy stood with her eyes closed, inhaling the sweet breeze from the flowers. The gentle wind swished her loose white skirt around her legs and blew her long, wavy, dark locks about her face. On the back of her eyelids she saw Johnny, grown up, tall, with that same shock of red hair sticking up in places on his head, throwing a Pokéball high, releasing a Pokémon to battle with. Only there was no one to face him. No opponent had challenged him. He looked over his shoulder and pleaded with his eyes to the sister he left behind. When she opened her eyes she saw her family looking at her, anticipating her answer.  
  
"I'm going to be the new Gym leader here," she said.   
  
They looked at each other. "What," Ash asked.  
  
"Mom has done an amazing job here, but she can't be the leader forever, right," she replied. "I think it's best to keep the gym in the family. Derek has his music to pursue, and Daddy has teaching to look after. I always assumed Johnny would take the reigns, but--" her voice broke. Her eyes teared up, but she regained her composure. "But he can't now. I know I can't be what he was, or what he is, or what he could have been, but I do know what I'm doing, and I know that I can keep this gym competitive and formidable. Opponents would expect nothing else from the daughter of Ash Ketcham and Misty Waterflower, right?" She smiled through her tears.   
  
Misty rose to embrace her daughter. She was crying freely. "It's perfect," she said. "I know you can do it. Thank you, Rosy." Ash and Derek hugged them, tears flowing.   
  
*  
  
It had been a year since Johnny died. A long year, filled with sorrow, tears, fear, pain, loneliness. Now the Cerulean Gym stood on the dawn of a new era: Rosy was primed to defend the Cascade badge of the Cerulean Gym against all comers for the first time. Misty helped Rosy get her Pokémon ready to battle a gym match, a challenge neither Rosy nor her Pokémon had seen before. Derek was standing guard outside the Gym, waiting for a challenger to appear. "Hey," he suddenly shouted. "Here comes someone!" He ran in to dispatch the news. As he streaked past Ash to inform Rosy, Ash chuckled to himself. He'd never seen Derek so full of energy. Rosy stood up, and stepped onto the gym floor. She faced a young boy. "My name is Peter Straihan, and I'm going to be a Pokémon master," he announced.  
  
"My name is Rosy Ketcham, and I'm the leader of the Cerulean Gym," Rosy answered. "This Cascade badge will be yours if you can defeat me." She held the badge up for him to see.  
  
"It's as good as mine," he boasted.  
  
Rosy smiled. Water-type Pokémon were never her strongest suit, but Misty had shown her how to use Water-types to her advantage. Water was the official type of the gym, and therefore, her best had to be at least some Water Pokémon. She grasped a Pokéball, thinking of the beast she planned to unleash in a few seconds. Years of her Pokémon education filled her head, as well as the tutelage Misty and Ash had passed on. Finally, she saw Johnny again. He smiled at her and gave her the thumbs-up. She took a deep breath and shouted, "Kingdra, I choose you!" Misty smiled from the shadows. Past, future and now present were one. Now she could sleep a little easier. 


End file.
